NextHop unveils new software

NextHop Technologies, a developer of network routing software, this week rolled out a new version of its product designed to enhance management and reliability.

The company’s GateD 10.0 routing code includes an XML API that enables users to build customized command line or Web interfaces, and provide a readily accessible script interface, NextHop says.  It also enables network administrators to lower operational costs and increase the security of managing any network device using GateD 10.0 software, the company claims.

For reliability, GateD 10.0 supports recent IETF drafts for graceful, or hitless, restarts. GateD 10.0 now allows a networking device to continue to forward packets while the routing software itself is being restarted.

These restarts might be triggered by a hardware failure or be part of a planned process for updating or reconfiguring the software. Graceful restart capabilities, which are extensions to the three most widely used routing protocols, provide a higher level of network equipment and public and private network availability and reliability, NextHop says.

A number of vendors have been announcing and rolling out routing resiliency features such as graceful restart over the past year. Juniper was first, followed by Alcatel, Cisco and Avici Systems.

In addition to the XML API and graceful restart features, GateD 10.0 software also includes several patent pending enhancements to algorithms in the Open Shortest Path First and Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System protocols to allow for enhanced availability and speed of calculation.

GateD 10.0 is aimed at multiple markets, including the service provider core and edge, and security appliance markets, among others. It is available now.